jeffrey



H. H. JEFFREY.

MINING AND LOADING MACHINE. APPLlcAvTIoN man MYI, :am

1 ,322, 1 1 3. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. H. JEFFREY.

MINING AND LOADING MACHINE.

2 SHEETS-SHET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ROBERT H. JEFFREY, OIF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOB. TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTUR ING- COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION F OHIO..

MINING AND LOADING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.v 18, 1919.

Application led May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,759.

i citizen of the United States residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new Vand useful Improvements in Mining and Loading Machines,` of which the following' is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to mining machines ci the class adapted to dislodge the coal from its native bed and to remove it rearwardly of the machine to be loaded for transportation from the mine.

It is the especial object of this invention to provide a machine having cutting den yvices capable of the formation of a plurality of parallel, spaced a art, horizontal kerfs extending across the ace of the vein, or to be adjusted to' form a series of parallel vertical kerfs in the said coal face, in combination with means to break down the coal between said'kerfs and means to receive and remove the coal as it is broken down.

In the following specification and the accompanying drawings I` `have disclosed the preferred embodiment of my Invention but I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction here illustrated as there may be wide variation in the means employed without departure from the spirit of my invention.

Of the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mining and loading machine embodying my invention, the cutting mechanism being adjusted for horizontal cutting.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Like numerals refer to similarparts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the bed frame which is adapted to rest upon and slideover the floor of the mine. Attached to the bed frame are vertical posts 2 and 3 which support bearings 4; and 5 in horirontal alinement with each other.` In these bearingsV is mounted a sleeve 6 carrying at its inner end a yoke 7 provided with spaced apart bearings 8. In the bearings 8 are mountedsleeves 9 upon the extended ends of which are rotatably mounted other bearings 10. The bearings l0 are formed integral with a frame 11 ,and are driven by having a plurality of inwardly extending cutter arms 12 and 12. On the cutter arms 12 and 12 are provided suitable guide ways 17 in which travel the cutter chains 16 and 16. The chains 16 and 16 are provided with renewable cutter bits 19 by which the coal is out inthe manner well understood in the mining machine art. `Journaled in the sleeves 9 is ashaft 13 t0 which are secured the sprocket wheels 14 by which the cutter chains 1'6 and 16 are driven. Similar sprocket wheels 15 are mounted on vertical aXes at the inner ends of the cutter arms 12 and these sprocket wheels engage the cutter chains 16. The numerals 18 indicate thin circular kerf cutters of considerably larger diameter than the sprocket wheels l5 to which they are concentrically attached. The kerf cutters 18 extend in planes parallel with the sprocket Wheels 15 and revolve with them around their vertical axes. As shown in Fig. 1 the cutter arms l2 extend only far enough to provide support foi' the sprocket wheels 15 and the kerf cutters 18, and the cutter chains 16 servethe double purpose of driving the kerf cutters 18 and of providing the necessary clearance for the supporting arms 12 to permit the entry of the kerf vcutters 18 yinto the coal body'to a depth equal to their full diameters. The lower most cutter arm 12 is, preferably, not provided with la ker cutter 18 but is elongated to extend into the coal to a depth equal thereto and the cutter chain 16 is adapted to t'orm a kerf of considerably greater width than the chains 16 for a pur'- pose which will be hereinafter explained.

Attached to the frame 11 is an arcuate rack 52 whichy is engaged b a worm 51 mounted upon a horizontal s aft 49. The shaft 49 is journaled in suitable bearings 50 attached to the yoke casting 7 and Is provided with a hand wheel 48 convenient to the hand of the operator. nipulation of the hand wheel 48 the cutter frame 1l and with it the cutterarms 12 and 12 may be rotated about the sleeves 9 to feed the kerf cutters laterally in an arcuate path to cut the coal. Attached to the sleeve 6 is a spur gear 4:8 which is engaged b a gear wheel all fixed to a horizontal sliraft a By the ma-v to the hand of the operator. nipulation of the hand wheel 47 the sleeve 6 and with it the yoke 7 may be rotated in the bearings i and 5 thereby adjusting the cutters to operate in planes at any desired angle with the direction of the coal vein.

As previously stated the bed frame l is adapted to be moved in any direction over the floor of the mine, and any preferred means may be employed to effect such movement. F or purposes of illustration I have shown in the drawings well known devices for accomplishing the moving and guiding of the machine. The feeding mechanism comprises a winding drum 3l mounted near the inner end of the bed frame upon a horizontal shaft 35. The shaft 35 is supported in suitable bearings 36 of the base frame and is connected by worm gearing 37, 37L with the power shaft 24 journaled in bearings in the bracket 25 on the main frame. Attached to and windable upon the drum 3l is a flexible cable 32, the free end of which is adapted to be connected to any suitable abutment out-side of the machine such as the jack 38. A. suitable guide sheave 33 mounted in a swiveling caster 34 provides means for guiding the rope in any preferred direction, and additional guide sheaves may be attached to the frame of the machine at any preferred point to effect further guiding of the feed rope in the manner which is well understood in the mining machine art. By the actuation of the winding drum 3l the feed rope 32 will be tensioned to draw the machinev toward the abutment 38, and by the judicious positioning of said abutment the kerf cutters may be fed longitudinally inwardly of the coal body, or they may be fed laterally across the face of the vein, or the machine may be otherwise moved about-the working place as desired. I have provided means to balance the strain of the cutting mechanism and the feed rope whereby the desired angular relation of the machine to the coal face may be maintained. At the outer endof the main frame a retarding de, vice comprising a drum 39 .upon Vwhich is wound a cable 40 adapted to be attached' to a suitable abutment, such as the jack 4l, at the rear of the machine. Friction mechanism 42 is provided to resist the unwinding of the rope 40 in the manner well understood in the mining machine art.

ln the drawings the numeral indicates an elongated conveyer frame which is adapt ed to extend along the right hand side of the main frame l to which it may lbe removably attached by suitable braces 54. Upon the conveyer frame 53 is mounted conveying mechanism which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 55. This conveying mechanism may be of any preferred construction, that indicated in the drawings being of the well known type having endless chains connected By the mai together by suitable cross bar flights which engage the. material to move it longitudinally of the conveyer frame. At the outer end of the conveyer frame 53 is mounted a head shaft 56 having suitable sprocket wheels, not shown in the drawing, which engage the chains of the conveyor to actuate the conveyer flights .in the manner well understood in the conveyer art. The head shaft 56 is provided with a sprocket wheel 57 connected with the driving sprocket 59 through a suitable driving chain 58.. The driving sprocket 59 is carried by a horizontal shaft 60 `iournaled in a suitable bear- ,ing 6l mounted upon the main frame l. The shaft 6() is driven from the vert-ical shaft 24: through a bevel gear 62 which meshes with the bevel gear 26.

The conveyer frame 53 is formed with an inner horizontal portion positioned adjacent the mine floor and adapted to extend into the ke-rf formed by the cutter chain 16 to receive the coal. as it is broken down, and an outer upwardly inclined portion adapted to elevate the coal to a suflicient height to be de# livered into suitable receptacles for transportation from the mine. Positioned above the inclined portion of the conveyer is a breaking down mechanism comprising a reciprocable pick 63 adapted to engage the coal to break it down upon the conveyer. This breaking down mechanism may be any one of several well known constructions. For the purpose of illustration I have shown a pick actuating mechanism comprising an air cylinder 6l having a longitudinally reciprocable piston to which the pick tool 63 is attached. The cylinder 6l 1s provided with the usual valve chamber 65 and is supplied with compressed airv from any convenient source of supply through a suitable air hose 66. The cylinder 64 is supported upon trunnions 63 which are journaled in trunnion bearings 69. To one of the trunnions 68 is secured a hand wheel 67 by which the operator may rotate the cylinder about` the' axis of the trunnions to vertically adjust the pick 63. The trunnion bearings 69 are supported upon slide ways 70 attached to the conveyer frame 53 and by the movement of the trunnion bearings on said slide ways the pick 63 may be longitudinally adjusted relative to the coal face.

The process of mining coal by means of the above described apparatus consists of two distinct steps, the first being the formation of a plurality of spaced apart parallel kerfs extending horizontally across the coal face, and the second being the dislodgment and removal of the coal. To accomplish the rst of these steps the breaking down and conveying devices are detached from the n iain frame and the machine is moved to the right hand s ide of the room its longitudinal hnes extending at right angles to the coal 'lineaire face and the hert cutters projecting toward the coal. By the manipulation of the hand Wheel t7 the ker'cutters are adjusted to operate in horizontal planes, or planes parallel cto the direction of the coal seam. The proportions of the parts are such that when so 'adjusted the cutter arm l2 will lie in close proximity to the line of the floor of the mine. The anchor jack 38 will then be positioned adjacent the coal face and the feeding mechanism actuated to move the machine bodily longitudinally invvard to cause the process, as above tudinally cutters to lenter the coal. When the hert cutters have advanced to a sufficient depth with the door ot the mine.

After the completion of the iirst step of the i described, the machine will be returned to the right hand side' of the room and the breaking down and conveying mechanism attached in the position indicated in the drawings. By means of the hand Wheel e7 the yoke Z will be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees, placing the herii cutters 18 in vertical planes. The an i chor jaclr 38 will then be positioned adjacent the coal tace and the machine moved longiinward., causing the kerl cutters to form aV plurality oi vertical lrerits intersecting the yhorizontal lrerfs previously termed and dividing the coal into rectangular blocks of convenient size for transportation. las the machine advances into the coal the receiving portion ot the conveyor enters the lovvermost lrerr and the pick 63 inaybe actuated to engage the coalgto break it down. The material thus dislodged will tall directly upon the conveyor by which it will be de posited insuitably positioned receptacles for transportation from the mine., iff the height' of the coal vein be greater than the diameter of the lrer cutters 18, the frame' ll may be oscillated vertically by the manipulation Oifthe hand Wheel-:e8 to extend the kerfs to the full height oti'the vein. Owing to the posi.

tion and thickness of the cutter arm l2 and the cutter chain lo the lovvermost korf in the horizontal series will constitute an yeirtension of the mino floor and 1will afford sufficient clearance for the receiving portion of the conveyor. After the completion oit the inward thrust, as just described, the machine may be withdrawn from the coal, moved a suitable distance toward the left, and the operation repeated, the coal being thus dis lodgedand removed in successive increments over the entire Width of the face.

What l claim is:

l.. ln a mining apparatus, the combination with a bed lframe adapted to be moved in any direction over the door ot the mine, of means to move said bed frame relative to the mine Walls, a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of'cutters adapted to simultaneously form parallel spaced apart kerfs, means to adjust said cutting apparatus to form a plurality of horizontal keris across the coal face or to form multiple vertical parallel kerfs in said coal tace extending in a series across the mine room, means at the rear side of the cutting apparatus for brealo ing down the coal between the kerfs, and a conveyor movable With said bed iframe and cutters adapted to receive and remove the coal as it is broken down.

2. In a mining apparatus, the combination with a' bed frame adapted to be moved in any direction over the floor of the mine, of

means to move said bed frame relative to the Walls or the mine, cutting apparatus carried by the bed frame adapted to form a plural- .ity ot parallel horizontal kerts across the coal face the lovverniost of which is of relatively great vertical Width, means at the rear side of the cutting mechanimto brealr down the coal between the lreifs, and conveying mechanism separably connected With the bed traine and adapted to be propelled thereby having a receiving part arranged to travel in vthe lovvermost kerf to receive and remove the coal as it is broken down.

3. ln a mining apparatus, the combination with a bed trame adapted to be moved in any direction over the door otthe mine, or" means to move said bed trame relative to ,the Walls of the mine, cutting apparatus comprising aseries ot parallel cutters and a cutter carrier adapted to be adjusted to cause said cutters to form a series ot horv zontal kers in the face of the vein and to then be adjusted to form a series of vertical kerfs in the said tacere supplementary mechanism adapted to bejseparably attached,

to the rear side of the bed trame and to move therewith comprising means to dislodge the coal between the keris, and a conveyor adapted to receive and remove the coal as it is broken down.

ln testimony whereof, l aiox my signature in presence or' two Witnesses.

, ROBERT H. JEFFREY.

*Witnesses Doni-*iur T. Fiso'nnn, d. llenar.

Sil

lull

lllli 

